First Families of Orangeburgh District, South Carolina

1a. BALTHASAR STRAUMAN, was from Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2] and died in South Carolina

There is some uncertainty about which of two Balthasar Straumans from Waldenburg is the most likely Orangeburg immigrant. There are arguments for either. See Research Notes below.

Balthasar and five (possibly six) other Straumans started down the Rhine in mid April in a party of 42 with the Rickenbachers, the Gieglemanns (two families), the Bitterlis, the Busers, and the Salis[3, 12]. They took passage on the ship Samuel, leaving Rotterdam 20 May 1735 (Gregorian)[4]. After a stop in Cowes, they arrived in Charleston on 13 Jul 1735 (Julian)[5]. They left Charleston on 24 Jul 1735 for Orangeburg[5].

Balthasar's grant of 300 acres and town lot #146 was surveyed on 9 Oct 1735[8] and granted on 17 Sep 1736[9]. The 300 acre grant implies a household of six persons. Four of them were probably the known Orangeburg immigrants, Balthasar, Heinrich, Barbara, and Hans Jacob. We can only guess about the others.

1b. HEINRICH STRAUMAN was from Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2], and died in South Carolina. He married Catharina Horger on 1 Apr 1740 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[6,7].

There are two possible candidates for Heinrich Strauman. he was either the son of Balthasar Strauman the butcher or the grandson of Balthasar Strauman the barber. There are arguments for either. See Research Notes below.

Heinrich's grant of 50 acres and town lot #150 was surveyed on 1 May 1736[10] and granted on 17 Sep 1736[11]. The 50 acre grant implies that Heinrich was single and was not included in Balthasar's grant.

There is no baptismal record in Waldenburg for any Barbara Strauman born within 10 years of 1709, however a Barbara Strauman was confirmed in Waldenburg in 1724. She would have been born 1707-09 as the usual age of confirmation in Waldenburg at the time was 15-17 years. This Barbara is a good fit for Barbara Strauman Sanger Ott, who died in Orangeburgh, 21 Mar 1759, aged 50 years[6,7]. There are two choices for her parents and good arguments can be made for either. See Research Notes below.

1d. HANS JACOB STRAUMAN was bapt. 22 Nov 1711 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2] and confirmed 1727 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2]. He was the son of HEINRICH STRAUMAN and VERONICA THOMMEN and the grandson of BALTHASAR STRAUMAN and SALOME HECKENDORN. He married (1)ANNA MARGARETHA SCHAUMLOFFEL on 18 Jul 1741 in Orangeburgh Township, South Carolina[6,7]. She was born 24 Apr 1721 and died 27 April 1757[6,7].He married (2)EVA CATHARINA SNELL, born about 1723 and died after 1781. Hans Jacob died aft. 28 Aug 1773.

Reference 1 says of Hans Jacob, "Zog nach Amerika, wo er Nachkommen hinterleiß." (Went to America where he left descendants)[1]. There are no other good candidates for Hans Jacob among the Waldenburg Straumans and this is almost certainly the Orangeburg immigrant.

John Jacob Stroman's will, dated August 28 1773, states in part: ". . .my beloved wife Catharina, the Third part of my moveable estate and further his grandchildren Mary and Ann Housell/Houseal one/thirteenth of estate to be divided between them without control of their father William Housell/Houseal -----and unto my beloved children Jacob, John, Balzer, Henry, Adam, Migle, Niklos, Civilla, Katy and Peggy and Mary Stroman. and Catharina Stroman and Adam Snell as lawful Extrix and Exor. sg. Jacob Stroman and signed in presence of John Bear and Niklos Harter" --Recorded in original will book 1780-1783 page 148[14].

According to several sources, Catherine was the first wife of ANDREAS SMOAK (Rauch)[17] and, upon her death, Andreas married her brother's widow, the Widow Stroman (Margaret Nettles?)[17, 18].

m. MARY STROMAN[14]

The family name is almost always spelled Strauman in the Swiss records although the modern spelling in Switzerland is Straumann. Balthasar has a number of variations including Baltzer, Balzer and Paltzer and Palzer (old German B's and P's sound very similar) and is almost certainly the origin of the name Paul in this family.

RESEARCH NOTES:

The Waldenburg Church Book presents several difficulties. Since there are no death records, and no marriage records after 1735 it is impossible to say with certainty what happened to some of the Strauman families. All we can say is that they disappear from the record. Reference 1 gets much of its information from the Church Book and thus has the same problem. In any case, the only identifiable candidates for the emigrant Balthasar Strauman are Balthasar, the Butcher and Balthasar the Barber. The grandchildren of Balthasar the Barber are the best fit to the Stromans known to have arrived in Orangeburgh while the younger age of Balthasar the Butcher makes him a more likely candidate for emigration. Balthasar the Barber and Balthasar the Butcher are from two different Strauman lines in Waldenburg and there is no identifiable connection between the two families at least as far back as the Church Book goes (early 1600's).

Faust mentions that the emigrant Balthasar was a butcher. Faust's source for that information is a Ratsprotokolle entry of 18 Apr 1736[3]. The subject of that entry and most of the entry itself is concerned with six families who want to emigrate in 1736. The part that mentions Balthasar appears to be a separate subject. It asks if 100 Guilders can be withheld for a year from Balthasar the Butcher's property over concern for past troubles and adds that the request means not to hand over to his agent. That part of the entry never states that Balthasar was a prior emigrant (he has been gone a year) nor does it categorize the property as "left behind" as Faust states. The decision was that the property be handed over but that the Governor was to investigate the Assistant Governor's request and to deduct legitimate declared claims [13].

Thus, despite the assertion by Faust, this document gives no definitive evidence that Balthasar the butcher was the emigrant Balthasar who left for Carolina in 1735.

For completeness and as an aid to further research, following are the details of the two Balthasar Strauman families. The Orangeburg Stroman immigrants almost certainly came from one or both of these families. Without additional evidence, however, identification of Balthasar, Heinrich and Barbara will continue to be uncertain. In contrast, the identification of Hans Jacob is relatively certain. - jr

Balthasar Strauman the Butcher (Metzger) from Waldenburg:

1. BALTHASAR STRAUMAN was baptized 17 Dec 1678 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2]. He was the son of HEINRICH STRAUMAN and CHRISCHOTTA JENNI[1,2]. He married ANNA MARIA HAEFELFINGER, 15 Jun 1701 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2].

Balthasar was a butcher (Metzger). He is possibly the Orangeburg immigrant Balthasar Stroman.

d. BARBARA STRAUMAN?, b. 1707-1709, conf. 1724 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2]. She could fit in this family but there is no proof of her parents.

Unfortunately, the confirmation record only says, "Barbara Strauman".

Barbara is almost certainly the Orangeburg immigrant Barbara Stroman.

Balthasar Stratrauman the Barber (Bader) from Waldenburg

1. BALTHASAR STRAUMAN, was baptized 11 Dec 1664 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2]. He was the son of CHRISTIAN STRAUMAN and AGNES GOTSCHIN[1,2]. He married (1)SALOME HECKENDORN, 6 Jan 1686 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2]. She died bef. Dec 1687. He married (2) MARGRETH WEISSNER, 6 Dec 1687 in Waldenburg, BL, Switzerland[1,2].

Balthasar was a barber (Bader). He is possibly the Orangeburg immigrant Balthasar Stroman.